Swept Away (DISCONTINUED)
by PastelCatt
Summary: Everyone's least favourite Faerie is back with an even greater desire to see two certain mages writhing in pain. What better time for sadistic games than the eve of their official wedding? Separated and lost in their own whirlwinds of despair, will things change for better or for worse? DISCLAIMER: Amazing fanart is not mine. PM me if you are the owner of it and don't want it here.
1. Just A Dream

_"Elias!" She shivered as she felt a cold, clammy sensation as arms shot out of nowhere and wrapped themselves tightly around her chest, dragging her out of his comforting embrace and across the damp grass._

 _"Chise!" He reached out his hand in a futile attempt to catch hers. His jaw hung open as he helplessly watched her slip away from him, deeper and deeper into the seemingly endless hole sucking her in._

 _"No... ELIAAAAS!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice quickly fading out as her chest tightened to the point where the pain alone caused her eyes to water._

She bolted up in her bed, panting heavily with sweat glistening on her forehead as if she had just run an entire marathon in her sleep. "Elias..." she mumbled into her hands covering her face. No matter how hard she tried, the tears wouldn't stop pouring down her cheeks.

The man in question suddenly burst into her room, thorned vines dancing at his sides as if he was readying himself for a battle. He looked around in confusion, unable to identify any cause for concern in the room.

Ruth yawned loudly as he sleepily sat up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. "Relax. She just had a nightmare."

"Elias..." she continued mumbling over and over into her hands, although her cheeks were burning with embarrassment at how much she had troubled him by simply having a bad dream.

Elias gradually seemed to relax, the thorned vines vanishing as he strode over to Chise's side and wrapped his arms around her, affectionately rubbing his head against her tear-stained cheek. "You're safe now, Chise."

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't be bothering you with this in the middle of the night..." she began, hanging her head in shame.

"No need for that. I'm just glad that you're alright."

She cracked a smile, reaching a hand up to stroke his head in return. "Yeah... It was just a dream." She shifted to look into the two glowing red orbs on his head where most other beings would have had eyes and gently placed a hand on either side of his head. "Could you promise me something?"

"Depends on what it is."

"Promise me that you will never leave my side."

"You know that I cannot guarantee such a thing, as proven by past experiences."

She blushed, well aware of that most of those situations had been caused by her simply running off without telling him first. "Then... promise to do your best to do so."

"I promise, Chise."

"Thank you." She closed her eyes, resting them for a moment as they grew heavy once more. "And, Elias?"

"Hm? What is it?" he patiently prompted.

"...Could I sleep by your side, please?"

He seemed mildly surprised by her sudden request but showed no signs of any objection to it. "Of course."

"Thank... you..." she sleepily mumbled, her arms dropping down as she almost fell off the bed, with Elias quickly steadying her.

"Careful now. You could injure yourself that way," he warned, gathering her up in his arms and heading out of the room with her.

She was already sound asleep by the time he carefully placed her down on one side of his double bed. He could not deny the fact that watching her fall asleep in his arms made him feel so... warm, like sitting in front of a lit hearth. It never ceased to amaze him when he saw how much faith she unwaveringly placed in him, despite his rather unusual appearance, and he wished that he could do nothing else but hold her in his arms and breathe in her sweet scent for all of eternity.

Emotions certainly were a peculiar thing.

* * *

The next morning, Chise awoke to find herself alone in his room, with yet another note on the small bedside table. With a sigh, she rolled over to it and held the note up in front of herself so that she could read it properly.

 **Something has come up. Do not try to find me.**

"Elias...!" she growled, clenching the note in her fist. He was randomly disappearing too often these days, and she still hated it when he did things behind her back. Why had he not yet learned to communicate with her about such matters? They had known each other for so long, yet he would not stop being so secretive.

She got up from the bed and shuffled out of the door. "Ruth!" she called out, but the only response she received was the eerie silence. She suppressed a nervous shiver. "Silver!" Still no response, so she decided to continue searching the house.

Even after double-checking all the rooms, nobody was to be found. She was becoming more and more uneasy by the minute and decided to go out to see if Silver Lady had gone outside with the others, seeing as she usually was inside the house when nobody else was around.

It had only just occurred to her how splendid the weather was outside, with a deep blue sky and the occasional fluffy white cloud along with a warm summer breeze. She glanced around, the only thing appearing to be out of the ordinary was that she was completely and utterly on her own.

The icy tendrils of fear began to take hold of her. Had they all left her behind, like her original family did? No... they can't have, she desperately thought. Elias had just promised the other night that he would do his best to stay by her side.

She ran back into the house and shut the door behind her, rushing to her room to change her clothes and grab her wolf werebeast pelt. It was not appropiate to wear pyjamas outside, no matter how nice the weather was. Once she was ready, she left the house again, threw the werebeast pelt over herself and sprinted down the small path that connected the house to the main path through the surrounding fields. "Elias! Ruth! Silver!" she continued calling, with the only other sound being the wind rushing past her as she ran as fast as she could.


	2. Humans Lie And So Do I

It didn't take her long to notice the familiar crystal flowers lining the path. What the heck, she wondered, as she followed them along the winding path through the English countryside. She didn't understand exactly what was going on, but she knew that something wasn't quite right.

The thing she loved most about being in the form of a werebeast was the newfound agility and speed she gained from it. She especially loved the rush of the wind against her face and the adrenaline flowing through her veins as she sped across the ground, her paws softly drumming on the ground as they felt like they could carry her anywhere.

And most importantly of all, she felt _free_.

She ended up so lost in an ocean of thoughts that she wasn't drawn back to reality until she barrelled full-on into a certain tall guy, who suddenly was no longer towering over her. Instead, he found himself flat on the ground with her awkwardly lying on top of him. "...Elias?!" She hastily stepped off him, taking the werebeast pelt off herself. "What are you doing here?"

"I'd ask you the same thing, seeing as you probably read the note." He slowly sat up in the grass to meet her gaze.

"...Well, yes. But you keep running off lately, and it's making me, well... worried." She blushed, looking down at her feet as she gathered her hands behind her back.

"You're quite predictable, you know. I wanted you to follow me, so there's no need to feel bad about it, Chise."

She snapped her head back up to look at him with a furious glare. "What?! I thought you said that you never lie!"

"Well..." he began, looking somewhat flustered, in his own personal way. "I never actually said that directly, I merely mentioned that my kind has little use for lies."

She growled in frustration, gritting her teeth. "Why did you want me to follow you all the way out here, anyway?"

"Have you already forgotten?" He held up his left hand, the sunlight reflecting off the smooth surface of the ring.

"Well, no... But what does that have to do with anything right now?"

"To be honest, he did threaten to run me through with those thorns when I objected, at first", a familiar voice responded from behind her.

"Father Simon?" She spun around to see him calmly approaching.

"Yeah, it's me. Again." He flashed a polite smile at both of them. "Although, I do think that you are a little... young for him." He shrugged apologetically. "But what is a man like me to do when two people are so deeply in love?"

She finally put two and two together as she stared straight at him in disbelief. "So... this is like some kind of official wedding, then?"

"I thought that now might be the appropiate time for it. You have agreed to being my bride, after all."

"And this was supposed to be a _surprise_ , you old, perverted mage." Angelica came up behind him and whacked him over the head, with Elias briefly muttering what sounded like a half-hearted accusation towards Father Simon. "Good job. You've already spilt all the beans, so there's no point in hiding this any longer." She clapped her hands together three times, and multiple trails of sparkles dashed around them for a moment before a small wedding setup was revealed around them.

"Oh, our little Robin, you're growing up!" The jade Ariel flew up to her, extending her arms eagerly in a joyous gesture. "We worked both day and night to make sure that our little Robin's wedding would be perfect! We hope you love it as much we do. Although, we really do think that you should reconsider the consequences of a sacred union with _him_."

"It's all so... wonderful." Chise looked around, still quite flustered at suddenly being placed in the centre of attention. "I really do appreciate your efforts."

"And so do I." Elias got back on his feet and went over to Chise to gather her up in his arms, affectionately rubbing his head on her cheek. "You'd better get ready, my sweet bride. The guests should be arriving any moment now."

"G-guests?" she stammered, staring at him in horror. "Oh no... this is too much, really..."

"You heard him. She's in your hands now, so handle her with care," Angelica firmly told the Ariel.

"Of course!" The Ariel giggled, excitedly dashing in circles around Chise before giving her a gentle nudge in the back towards the bushes. "Just over there, little Robin."

Chise looked at the bushes for a moment before throwing an uncertain glance over her shoulder, at Elias, who simply nodded and gestured with both hands for her to get a move on.

"Don't you worry, I've already given the old pervert a thorough lecture on how to treat a lady. Isn't that right?" Angelica gave Elias a look that made even him shrink a little.

Chise's amused smile soon turned into a grin followed by mild laughter. The way Angelica put it, made it sound like Elias was more terrible than he looked. "Thank you for the help, Angelica."

"Don't mention it. Now, go!"

Chise finally walked through the bushes, finding herself shrouded in shadows cast by the leaves over her head. She glanced up at the snippets of blue sky peeking through the cracks and smiled. Her heart was pounding with excitement, and she felt that if it was not for her corporeal form, she would have gone everywhere at once.

However, her smile began to fade when she realized that she was all alone. The jade Ariel was nowhere in sight, not even her voice could be heard. "Hello?" Her heart now hammering in her chest with fear, she took a few steps deeper into the forest, pushing a branch aside. "This isn't the time for pranks, please come out."

She spun around when she heard a dark chuckling echoing around her. Her heart was now hammering as if it was attempting to burst out of her chest. "W-who are you, and what do you want?"

She could swear that she saw a fleeting shadow rush by, as the chuckling grew louder. "ELIAS!" she called out, but he didn't come right away, which was unusual when she sounded so panicked. She decided to try again. "ELIAAAS!" Still no sign of him. Suddenly, something gave her a hard shove in the back, and she fell to her knees, but she refused to cry as she tilted her head up at the sky once more and shouted at the top of her lungs, "ELIAAAAAS!"

"He isn't coming for you, child. Nobody will, so quit calling for them with that pesky voice of yours. They can't hear you, anyway," an unfamiliar voice croaked from the undergrowth.

"...Ashen Eye. What do you want this time?" She got up, glaring at him as he came into view.

"Ah, smart girl. You recognized me. Now, as for today's test..." he began but was cut off by Chise running back in the direction of which she came. "That's rude, you know," he dryly commented as he followed her from the shadows. "This may prove to be profitable, however," he whispered to himself.

"ELIAS!" she called out as she blindly sprinted towards him.

"...Chise? What's wrong?" Elias protectively wrapped his arms around her as she did the same to him.

"It's... him..." she panted, glancing back at the forest. "Ashen Eye."

Elias stiffened as she mentioned his name. "And you are certain of this?"

"Yeah."

"Then we must leave. Now." he firmly stated, picking her up in his arms and beginning to walk away with her.

"Elias!" She shivered as she felt a cold, clammy sensation as arms shot out of nowhere and wrapped themselves tightly around her chest, dragging her out of his comforting embrace and across the grass.

"Chise!" He reached out his hand in a futile attempt to catch hers. His jaw hung open as he helplessly watched her slip away from him, down into the ground.

"No... ELIAAAAS!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice quickly fading out as her chest tightened to the point where the pain alone caused her eyes to water. It was so similar - no, _exactly_ \- like her dream.


	3. Elias The Cat

**As some of you may have noticed, I'm releasing chapters fairly quickly. This is due to that I have just recently finished watching this beautiful series, so the fangirl hype is still very strong ^^**

* * *

She quickly lost track of the time passing by as she silently fell. Her throat had long ago become too hoarse for any more screaming, and now she simply allowed herself to continue plummeting through the seemingly bottomless hole with her clothes flapping around her. "Eli...as..." she croaked. His surprised reaction when she had been so forcefully dragged out of his arms would not stop replaying in her mind. She already missed the warmth and safety of his embrace.

Suddenly, the last of her breath was knocked out of her as she hit the path outside Elias' house. "...Huh?" She was puzzled as she gingerly stood up, even more confused at the fact that she couldn't feel any pain despite the impact that her fall should have had. She glanced around. Everything looked so oddly peaceful.

"You can open your eyes now." It was unmistakeably _his_ voice, but from where? "As I expected, we made it in one leap." He paused. "Welcome. This is my home. And as of today, it is yours as well."

"Uh.. Wait, hold on!" Now, it was her own voice, only it was coming from the same direction as Elias' voice. "I'm confused! Where are we? How did we get here from the auction house?" The panicked questions were followed by the rattling of chains.

"We're to the west of London, in the countryside on the outskirts of England."

"Uhhh, we're in _England_ , now?! And what am I an apprentice of?"

"Oh, here. You won't be needing that anymore." The chains snapped and dissolved into sparkles. "As of today, you are my pupil. An apprentice mage."

"A mage? There's no way..."

"We are a dying breed. And I warn you, you may find me a bit old-fashioned."

She couldn't take it any longer. She knew all too well that this was from the first day they met, shortly after Elias had bought her from the auction that she had signed herself up for. She grabbed the hair at the sides of her head, bowing her head downwards as she shut her eyes tightly. _'This is just a dream, so snap out of it!'_

She cautiously opened her eyes once more to find herself inside his bed room, standing in a corner as she watched him sleep, with her on the other side of the bed. Her heart felt like it would give away any moment now, with all the pressure it was under. She slowly reached out a hand to him, anxiously holding her breath as she took a step closer. She paused when she noticed how peaceful he looked when he slept, although it could have something to do with her being next to him. He was lying on his stomach, the glow in his eyes dimmed as his chest slowly rose and fell under him.

She hastily retreated back to the corner when she heard herself mutter something in her sleep and writhe around, as if she was in pain or struggling to free herself from something invisible. Elias shifted onto one arm, protectively wrapping the other around her sleeping form.

"Chise," he quietly rumbled in his sleep. "You are safe now, my bride."

She stiffened at the mention of 'bride', her cheeks burning as she smiled with tears welling up in her eyes. Now that she was seeing it from a third person's perspective, it was impossible to deny how open he could be about his affection towards her.

When she closed her eyes to rest them for a moment before opening them again, her surroundings had changed once more. Now, they were in the living room on Christmas Eve, with her other self staring at a massive teddy bear that she was holding up in the air after unwrapping it.

"I've only made them for Angelica and her family. I thought I'd make one for you, too," Elias explained.

"You made this? You did?"

"Yeah. Angelica told me a long time ago that she wanted a teddy bear as a gift. I think this year's is my best one yet."

"You've been doing it ever since?" Her other self blushed slightly as she glanced between Elias and the teddy bear.

"I don't really know what else to do."

"Thank you." Her other self pressed her face into the teddy bear.

Without warning, everything around her current self began to turn to some kind of black dust, cracking multiple places before dissolving into tiny particles and flying away with a non-existent wind. She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. What was going on? This warmth she had just felt... it was being replaced with an icy chill, like a lake gradually freezing over during an unusually long and harsh winter. She blindly reached out into the darkness, attempting to find _something_ to hold onto, but there was nothing else except her.

For once in a long time, she felt so... lonely. And cold. Just like when her family abandoned her. She had nothing. Was nothing. Until he came along. But who was 'he'? She couldn't remember a face, much less a name or the sound of his voice. It was as if everything, even her own identity, had been stripped away until she was nothing more than a little girl in a big world.

Then, there was a new warmth that felt as if it had been there her entire life. She heard the sweet humming of none other than her own mother as she stood in the kitchen and washed up after a mealtime.

"W-where am I?" She was sitting in a chair at quite a large and fancy dining table, clueless as to what had happened.

"Oh, silly! Have you already forgotten Daddy's promotion?"

"Daddy... was promoted?"

"Of course. Now he earns double the amount in half the time."

None of this felt right to her. Shaking like a leaf, she slowly backed away from the red-haired woman who looked and sounded _exactly_ like her mother, before... before what? All she felt when she struggled to remember was her head pounding like someone was hitting it with a sledgehammer.

However, one name stubbornly remained in her head, like the chanting of the other kids back when she started school for the first time... but that seemed so distant, like it never happened.

 _Elias._

But who was he? She couldn't recall anything else about him, just his name.

"Where is Elias?" she demanded, although she didn't dare to even hope that her mother would have heard of him.

"Your cat? Didn't you let him out just a few minutes ago?"

She couldn't speak. Her chest tightened to the point where she struggled to breathe. The world began spinning around her, and she barely registered the pain when she collapsed onto the floor and hit her head on what turned out to be the kitchen floor. "Elias..." she mumbled, tears welling up in her eyes as she curled up into a ball.

"Chise!" Her mother quickly dried her hands on a towel and wrapped her arms protectively around her, and for a moment, she could swear that it reminded her of someone very special to her, but _who_? "Elias is just out in the back, I'll bring him in for you. Just wait a moment, okay?"

She weakly nodded, covering her face with her hands. There was something warm and comforting loosely fitted around her ring finger on one hand, however, so she held out that hand in front of her while letting the other fall away from her face. A beautiful ring sat on her finger, and the sight of it calmed her down a little, although she had no idea why. It made her feel strangely safe, knowing that it was there.

Since when did she have a cat, anyway? She sat up on the floor to watch her mother come in with a small, dark grey cat with reddish brown eyes in her arms. For a moment, she could swear that they glowed _red_ in the sunlight. "That isn't Elias," she plainly stated, not sure why she thought so.

"Are you sure you don't have a mild concussion, darling? You look awfully pale, and you're trembling like you have a terrible fever."

"I... don't feel so good."

"Perhaps Elias will make you feel better? I wish I could stay and keep you company, but I promised to help Daddy with something very important." Her mother kneeled down in front of her, gently placing the cat down on the floor and planting a kiss on Chise's forehead before walking off.

She stared at the cat, and it stared back for a moment before blinking at her and beginning to purr, reaching up to rub its head on her cheek. She pulled it in close, clutching it tightly to her chest and burying her face in its soft fur as fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

She didn't know how long she was sitting there. Minutes, hours, or even days... It didn't matter to her. She just wanted to find this unknown person called Elias.


	4. Baku

**Warning : Brief mention of nudity in end of chapter (literally one word, nothing graphic)**

* * *

As it turned out, life was quite pleasant. She lived somewhere out in the English countryside in a classic English cottage with her mother, her father and her younger brother. It was the middle of the summer holidays, and it seemed like the sunny days filled with sweet apple juice and a swift yet warm breeze would never end.

She especially loved the small river located a few minutes' walk behind their home. It's flow passed through a lush, green forest where the cool air was always welcome when the sweltering heat became unbearable, and as far as she knew, it had always been her favourite summer activity to take her shoes and socks off and splash around in the icy cold water. Even as an 18-year old, she loved it more than anything else and made sure to visit the small river whenever she had a spare moment away from her stressful life as a student.

One day, she sat on the edge as usual with her bare feet submerged in the cool water. The therapeutic flow of the river tickled her ankles as she gazed up at the trees towering over her, gently swaying from side to side in the wind as she leaned back and supported herself with her hands firmly placed on the ground behind her back. She could not help but smile to herself, closing her eyes to concentrate on the sounds of nature surrounding her from all sides. The bird song, the trickling of the water flowing over the stones, the rustling of the leaves in the wind... It was all so calming.

"Hey there, Human!"

She jumped, a surprised gasp escaping her as she opened her eyes wide and glanced behind her, not seeing anyone. "Huh?"

"You can hear me? That's unusual... you must have the Sight. I like you."

She finally noticed a young, shirt-less guy with shoulder-length hair that shimmered an elegant sea-blue in the sunlight peeking through the leaves. He had his arms crossed on the ground as the rest of his body appeared to be down in the river. His jade-green eyes sparkled with amusement as he beamed at her, raising one of his arms to give her a small wave.

"W-who are you?" she stammered as she stumbled backwards, blushing furiously, not used to seeing shirtless guys who looked around her age and who randomly appeared in front of her.

"Your friendly neighbourhood spirit animal, of course! You may call me Baku."

"I...I'm Chise."

"Ah, a beautiful name for a beautiful lady." This casual comment, as if he was stating the obvious, made her cheeks discover a whole new shade of redness. "So, tell me, Chise. You're clearly no mere Human, so what are you, exactly?" He rested his chin on the grass, gazing up at her with a curious look in his eyes.

"Uhhh...? There's more than one kind of Human?"

"Obviously. Although some would generally be thought of as more cursed than others. For instance, there are the Sleigh Beggies who already are extremely rare, and those gifted with the Sight are even more so. They are known for being capable of harnessing great amounts of magic, which unfortunately does tend to shorten their life span dramatically, as their frail bodies aren't particularly well built for such things. Speaking of which, do you mind if I run a little test on you, seeing as even you don't know much about yourself?"

"...Alright. But what kind of-" Her scream echoed around them, birds flying off in panic when she felt a searing pain in her arm as Baku launched himself forward and sank his teeth into her arm. "What the hell?!"

Baku retreated to his previous position, with a smile. "Knew it. You're a Sleigh Beggy gifted with the Sight. What an honour it is to finally meet one eye-to-eye! The harmonic taste of your blood is truly unique. You'd do well to keep it away from those who would love to feed off it."

"What?! You just bit me, and _now_ you're warning me to watch out? And not just that, you're acting as if _biting_ me without warning is perfectly acceptable?!"

"I don't see why it shouldn't be. You agreed to it, after all."

She opened her mouth to argue back but closed it again without saying a word. "That is some seriously messed up logic, you know." She nursed her arm, fresh blood trickling down it.

"Allow me. In order to seek the lady's forgiveness, I must first take care of the mess I made." He pulled himself up onto the edge to sit next to her, and to her relief, he was wearing a grey pair of shorts. Oddly, they were completely dry as if he had not even touched the water, but she decided not to question him about it. She didn't want things getting weirder than they already were.

At first, she backed away from him, fearful of him biting her again or doing something even worse. However, he simply held out his hand to her and silently inclined his head to her injured arm.

"...First, you bite me, and now you want to _help_ me?!"

"Just give me your arm."

"No."

He sighed heavily and reached for her arm, only to have his hand violently slapped away. "Hey! I'm trying to help you!"

"No, you're creepy!"

"Fine. Have it your way. You can stubbornly sit around and die from an infected wound that no doctor can heal."

"...I-infected?"

He nodded grimly. "Precisely. You should always treat a bite like that right away before it gets nasty."

"Ugh, fine." She reluctantly held out her arm to him.

As he held her arm, he whispered some words in an unknown language before giving the bite marks a slow lick, sending chills down her spine.

"What are you doing...?"

"Shhh! I'm concentrating." As he slowly ran his tongue over the wounds, they began to close up and fade away, leaving no trace of ever having existed. Once they had all been closed, he let go of her arm and got up from the ground. "I could totally do that every day, if it meant that I could taste a Sleigh Beggy's blood every time."

"...You're disgusting."

"D-disgusting?" He stared at her in shock, wide-eyed. "That's a little harsh, don't you think?" He grunted in pain as she gave him a sharp kick across the leg in response. "Alright, alright! I won't do that again." His eyes glittered as he gave her an entirely different look. "If you agree to being my mate... Chise."

She gaped at him in disbelief before frowning and violently pushing him away from her. "Get away from me, you creep! I don't know who you are, but I don't want to have anything to do with you!" She turned around and stomped off back down the path.

"...You can evade me that easily?" He reappeared in front of her, his smile gone. "This isn't just any regular dream for you, is it?"

"What do you mean?" If she wasn't already completely and utterly confused before, she definitely was now.

"You're dreaming right now." He paused to think. "But you've been at it for two weeks in a row. That's not normal, even for a Sleigh Beggy. It's as if you're in some kind of coma, but then you'd be semi-conscious and able to hear things around you in what you'd call the 'real' world. My best guess it that you're under someone's spell, which explains why you can see me. Even those gifted with the Sight take time to fully attune to the dream plane but never hang around long enough to achieve that."

She didn't understand even half of what he was telling her. It was all so mind-blowing, and she couldn't do anything else but gape stupidly at him.

"Poor Sleigh Beggy. You've been set adrift at sea and placed in the pitiless hands of Fate..." he began, suddenly straightening up and puffing out his chest proudly. "Do not despair, for I, the great Baku, shall protect you from the evil that plagues you! After all, you haven't seen a single monster here so far, have you?" Without waiting for a reply, he continued. "Well, that's all my doing, you see." He patted her head with a wide grin. "You've been blessed - by yours truly!"

"W-what?"

"How about I set you on the right path, hm? Here's what you need to know..." He placed two fingers on her forehead as her body froze, and she was unable to move.

 _"In every bright aspect of your life in this world, there is a flaw carefully hidden somewhere," he began, his voice echoing in her head. "It can manifest as anything, from the peeling corner of wallpaper," As he spoke, some of the possibilities flashed before her eyes, "to the flawed morality of a special someone. Your task is simple; Locate these flaws and uncover them. Only once you've uncovered all of them, will you be able to return."_

She stumbled backwards, blinking multiple times. She stared at him with wide, fearful eyes. "B-but... how? How is any of this true? Isn't this reality?"

He tutted at her, shaking his head. "Nope. You've been horribly deceived, little one. This isn't your home. Now, I don't know who you messed with to get this curse hurled your way, but I doubt that uncovering all the flaws will be as easy as it sounds. After all, whoever has done this to you currently has full control over your mind. He may even try to tear this knowledge away from you and make sure that I stay well away next time. When and if that time comes, you will be left alone to face your fears. But I can already tell that you're unusually strong, so you should be fine."

It didn't take more than a glance to see the desperation in his eyes that he clearly was attempting to hide. He wanted something from her in return but was hesitant about asking.

"You want something from me, don't you?"

He seemed flustered as he rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "Well... yeah. You see, I've practically been _dying_ to see the 'real' world since the beginning of my existence, so... I was sort of hoping that I could hitch a ride with you on the way back," he admitted. "Only if you're okay with that, of course," he quickly added with a nervous chuckle. "I'm kind of restricted by what others agree to and what they don't."

"Hmm..." She thought about it for a moment, looking thoughtfully at the ground before looking up at him again with a small nod. "Alright. But only if you promise to help me in any way you can - and don't even think about trying to make me your property."

"You can count on me!" He strutted proudly, making her think of a male peacock during mating season.

She let out a tired sigh at his display. "If you're going to help me out, could you at least change into something less... revealing?"

"As you wish." He performed an elegant bow before shifting into the form of a large tapir-like creature to her great surprise, instantly baffling her beyond words.

"...Oh God, no! I meant for you to change your clothes, not change form!" She groaned with a pained expression.

"Ah, I see." He shifted back into his Human form, this time butt-naked.

She shrieked and spun around, blushing furiously with her back to him. "That's even worse! Could you at least do a dog or something?"

"Sure thing." He didn't seem to even take notice of her embarrassment as he shrank down into a golden retriever. "Better?"

"Much better..." she mumbled in relief as she slowly began walking back to the house with him at her side, her legs feeling as if they had turned to jelly.


	5. A Forked Path

"And you're absolutely sure that you don't intend on going back on your promise?" Baku crossed his arms, coldly eyeing the old Faerie shouded in a brown cloak that was hiding even his face.

"Oh, come on now. Do you really think that little of me?" Ashen Eye responded, not sounding particularly offended.

"With your ways of twisting the hopes and dreams of Humans, I don't see any reason to do otherwise." Baku threw another glance at the young, red-haired girl lying with her back on the wolf-like hide protecting her from the rocky ground under her. "What is your issue with her, anyway? Surely such a frail thing couldn't even hope to hurt you."

"Hm? Why do you ask?"

"Since I'm the one doing most of the work, I should at least have the right to know your reasons."

"You see, it's not about her. It's that pesky husband of hers. He has long been a thorn in my side, and I merely decided to turn the tables now that I was given the opportunity to do so."

"She has a husband? At such a young age?" Baku raised an eyebrow at the girl before shaking his head in disapproval. "My, my... That is rather unusual, even for someone with such a short lifespan. How long until she dies?"

"My best guess would be half a year. Those foolish mages and alchemists are too optimistic about it for their own good."

"Such a shame that her kind live such short lives. It's quite intriguing how positive and carefree she can be, despite this terrible fate awaiting her. It's as if she's ready to accept her own death and move on. It's so... refreshing." Baku cracked a small smile as he watched her sleep peacefully. "Even if she isn't really aware of that at this moment."

 _Ah, yes. You have no idea how much I loathe you, Ashen Eye. One day, when I have full control over her body, you will meet your long-awaited end. She has potential unlike any other, and I shall see that it isn't wasted._

* * *

At best, Elias had not been the same since Chise had mysteriously been forced out of his arms. Even Ruth could only shake his head and sadly confirm that she was nowhere near them.

He silently sat behind his desk, all alone in his study. He was resting his chin on his hands, which were clasped together with his elbows resting on the wooden surface, and he looked as if he was in deep thought. He knew better than to throw the same tantrum that he had so childishly done when Chise had willingly left him due to a small... misunderstanding.

Although he did not look like it, there was a vicious battle going on inside him. Right after he had called off the wedding, he had retreated to his study and stayed there, day and night. The only times he left it were when Silver Lady appeared in the doorway, holding her wooden spoon threateningly and giving him a stern look that told him to get a move on or else.

"Chise..." he murmured as he glanced down at the silver ring on his ring finger. He still couldn't believe how he had simply stood there like any old fool while his own bride was dragged away from him.

It had been two weeks and still no sign of her, despite the Ariels' efforts. Even Angelica, Lindel and Simon were tirelessly helping out by continuing to spread the word about a missing redhead with deep green eyes. Still nothing.

The Queen and King of the Fae had, of course, offered to aid them if he promised to come to their kingdom with Chise and stay there as a couple. Elias had furiously declined and vowed that he would find Chise with or without their help, as long as it meant they could stay in the Human world, and he was sure of that Chise would have wanted the same.

But now... He wasn't so sure anymore. This cold that he felt was growing more unbearable by every day that passed without her being there for him. He would go out, himself, if he wasn't so afraid of throwing a fit where others could see it. The last thing he needed was to have his face slammed into the ground while repeatedly being called a monster.

"CHISE!" he suddenly roared, standing up and gripping the edge of the desk before hurling it across the room with all his strength. He stood there, panting as he glanced down at the floor where the desk had previously stood. A small, dark-blue children's book caught his eye, and he bent down to pick it up. The title said, 'The Lonely Little Star'.

The sight of the book only increased the aching pain in his chest. He wished that he could simply destroy the book and be done with it, but he could not get himself to do so. After all, it was her favourite book, and he had already seen enough of her reaction to his careless yet hurtful actions for a lifetime. Instead, he decided to clutch it to his chest, hoping to dull the pain he felt from this... loneliness.

He nearly jumped through the ceiling when he suddenly heard the all too familiar sound of someone patting a wooden spoon in the palm of their hand. He looked up to see Silver Lady standing in the doorway, not looking terribly pleased.

"...I'll be there right away."

* * *

"I still don't see why you should follow me all the way to school. It's not like it's a big deal or anything," Chise commented as she crossed another road with Baku padding along next to her.

"Of course, it is. How are you otherwise going to find the flaws, or do you not want to escape this dream?" he responded, tilting his head upwards to look at her.

"What are you even talking about? This can't be a dream. I can't have a dream inside a dream, it just doesn't make sense."

"Those are not dreams, they're glimpses of reality. Your mind only interprets them as dreams to lighten the load."

"You're so strange, Baku..." she mumbled.

"How odd, I'd say the same about you."

She rolled her eyes, taking a turning into the school yard at the front of the large, dull building. It was bustling with excited chatter, squeals and multiple cliques sitting around on benches and on the grass. After all, the sun was already high over their heads, and even the light breeze was pleasantly warm.

However, what _really_ caught her eye was the sight of the cheerful couples holding hands, their fingers lovingly intertwined. She gave them a wistful look, rubbing her arm as if she was cold. She glanced in Baku's direction.

But where was he?

She turned around, craning her neck to check behind bushes and trees without seeing him anywhere. "Baku?"

"Oh, you're so sweet!" A blonde-haired girl giggled, her cheeks a mild shade of pink as Baku, in human form and surprisingly wearing the school uniform, had gone down on one knee and was gently slipping a shoe onto the girl's left foot.

"Ah, my lady. Your eyes dazzle more beautifully than the ocean on the clearest summer day." There was that sparkle of joy in his eyes that he used when referring to a girl as 'my lady'.

Chise felt jealousy bubble up furiously inside her as she watched, mostly out of horror. "What the heck?"

Once Baku had finished, he got up, cupped the girl's cheek in his hand with incredible tenderness and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. Chise could swear that he threw _her_ a devilish sideways glance while doing it. After drawing out the moment as much as he could, he finally walked back to her, his hands casually stuffed into his pockets. "My, my... What could that look be? Better close that mouth before a bee gets in." He teasingly finished the sentence by using a finger to close her lower jaw. Only then did she realize that she had unknowingly been gaping like a fish.

She blushed furiously, crossing her arms with an indignant huff. "Go away."

"Such a temper. Oh, come on... You're not mad at me now, are you?" He cocked an eyebrow upwards.

Glancing past him, she received a withering glare from the blonde-haired girl as chills ran down her spine. "Let's just go..." She began walking towards the main entrance.

"As you wish." He flashed another one of his annoyingly charming smiles which she hated so much - and he knew it. He followed her, quickly catching up as they both walked into the building.


	6. Darkness of the Night

**Finally, after what seemed like a million years, I was hit by a rush of inspiration. Here's the 6th chapter, enjoy! ^^**

* * *

It seemed like days before the bell finally rang at the end of the day. The legs of the chair made a loud creaking noise across the floor as Chise pushed the chair backwards to get up from her seat. The other students quickly poured out of the classroom, followed by the teacher. After all, it was late afternoon on a Friday, and few people could deny that a weekend was necessary.

"How intriguing! Is this what every school day is like?" Baku clasped his hands together with his elbows on the desk in front of him, looking at Chise.

"Well, yeah..." she responded, finding his question somewhat odd. Then again, there wasn't anything about him that wasn't odd.

"Amazing. I should really try this more often, even if all those strange symbols on the pages don't make any sense to me."

She stared at him with wide eyes, taken aback at this sudden news. "You can't read?"

His shoulders drooped as he closed his eyes with a heavy sigh. "Nope."

She could not help but feel a stab of pity for him, as she had previously never met anyone who _couldn't_ read. She barely managed a weak smile as she looked back at him. "You know... I could teach you." Even she, herself, was surprised at her unexpected offer.

"...Really?!"

In an instant, she had been swept off her feet and found herself in his arms. Her entire body felt lighter than a feather as he lifted her up into the air with ease and twirled her around a couple times while she helplessly hung there, too baffled to attempt an escape. "Uh, is that a normal reaction from you?"

"Yup! Better get used to it." He beamed with happiness and hugged her tightly against his chest as she felt like all the air was being forced out of her lungs. Then, he gently set her down on her feet, placing his hands on her shoulders. "So, when do we begin?"

"Today, I guess... It's not like I really have any friends to hang out with, anyway."

"Such a wonderful little Human girl like you, not having a million friends? How is that even possible?"

She gave an idle shrug in response. "Dunno. It just is, I guess."

* * *

Later that evening, Baku silently sat cross-legged on the carpet-floor of Chise's room and watched as her head slumped forward, her eyes finally sliding shut. He swiftly extended an arm to catch her before her head could hit the floor, picking her up in his arms and carrying her over to her bed. He placed her on it with the utmost caution, fearful of waking her up as his hands trembled slightly. Her dainty body felt like glass in his arms, and the last thing he wanted to do was injure her.

After all, it would cause a major setback in his plan if she had to be hospitalized, even if it was in a dream. This was her current 'reality', and the same rules rom the real world counted here, to some extent.

He cracked a small smile as he watched her sleep on while he pulled the blanket over her. Then, he knelt down by her bed and carefully leaned his forehead against hers, unable to resist the temptation any longer. He desperately wanted to see how she perceived reality in her current state, even if it only was through the memories that otherwise were out of reach to her.

 _Stars twinkled all around her, ripples gradually appearing in the water under her feet with every step she took. She felt a warm hand softly tilt her chin upwards, and she smiled as she saw that familiar wolf skull with the goat horns jutting out of either side, complete with red orbs glowing in each of the two dark sockets on the skull. "Elias..."_ _A gentle breeze brushed past, her bright red hair slowly rippling along with it as if time itself had been slowed down._

 _There was this longing in her heart as it ached for him. She didn't understand the feeling, seeing as the guy was right in front of her, like they were so close yet so far._

 _"Chise, why did you leave me?" He sounded hurt as he placed his hands on her shoulders and firmly pushed her away from him. "You promised..."_

 _"...Huh? I-I don't know what you mean!"_

 _"Why did you do it, Chise? Why did you leave me?" he repeated._

 _The wind picked up around them, becoming like a storm as an icy feeling of fear gripped her. "But... I haven't left you!"_

 _Elias' jaw dropped as thorned vines shot up from the water surrounding them. "CHISE!" he roared, the vines growing in number as they darkened the sky above their heads._

She bolted upright in her bed, forcefully slamming her forehead into Baku's forehead as they both groaned in pain, Chise curling up on the bed with her back to Baku while he curled up on the floor, covering his forehead with both hands, his face twisted in pain. "What the heck, Baku?!"

"That was one hell of a nightmare... inside a dream. At least I now know that such a thing _is_ , in fact, possible."

"I feel so... strange..." she mumbled, not seeming to had heard his comment. "That... creature won't stop haunting my dreams, and it's as if... as if I _miss_ it."

That was when the gears clicked in his head. That must have been her husband, he thought to himself as he got to his feet, his forehead still throbbing as he grimaced. "That's what people with overly active imaginations get, believe me, I know that all too well."

He did his best to sound confident. But deep down, he practically trembled with fear at the thought of her heart belonging to such a powerful creature. After witnessing that power, even if it was in a nightmare, he knew that taking control of her body would not be an easy task. He would need to find a way to dispose of that husband, first.

"Hey, Chise. Since you're awake now, what do you say to finding one of those flaws? You want to get out of this dream, don't you?" he said coaxingly and flashed a grin at her, barely managing to keep it from turning into another grimace.

"Well, yeah..." She let out a long yawn, sleepily stretching her arms up into the air before throwing her blanket aside and sliding out of bed.

Shifting into his tapir form, he eyed the window thoughtfully, noting that it was just about large enough for both of them to fit through it, if Chise got onto his back and ducked. "Climb on. We can't risk waking up your family."

"...We're going through the _window_?!"

"Yup. Just get onto my back." He kneeled down on the floor by folding his front legs and tipping his head forward.

He waited patiently, giving her sideways glance from time to time. After a long pause of silence, he began to wonder what was going on. Why wasn't she getting onto his back?

"Are you sure that this is a good idea... in the middle of the night?"

"Ah, you're afraid," he concluded. "That's alright. I'll protect you, so don't worry, okay?"

She hesitantly nodded, noticing that he was skillfully avoiding her gaze but decided to let it slide as she cautiously got onto his back. "You have done this before, right?"

"Nope!"

Her eyes widened in horror as the window flew open as if by some magical force, and they left through it. At first, it felt like they were free-falling - after all, they _had_ just jumped out from the first floor. Chise opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out.

Suddenly, time stopped. Or had they stopped? She didn't know, she wasn't even sure how gravity worked anymore. Clearly, Baku didn't care much for it, launching himself out of a window and falling at breakneck speed without batting an eye. Surely, he didn't do this _all_ the time?

She stared down at the ground, her head spinning at the distance to the ground that gradually began to grow as if they were moving upwards.

 **[Main theme of AMB]**

 _I'm riding on the back of a flying tapir... in my pyjamas... in the middle of the night._

"So, how's the view up there?" Baku cheerfully asked, not seeming to take much notice of how she was pressing her knees into his sides in terror.

"Uh, great! Sort of..." She clenched her teeth, forcing herself to avert her gaze from the ground beneath them.

"Heh. This is the first time that I've ever allowed someone as pretty as you to ride on my back."

She felt her cheeks burn at the mention of the words 'pretty' and 'you' in the same sentence. "Oh..." She felt her stomach churn as she wrapped her arms protectively around herself. "This would actually be pretty amazing, if only my stomach could agree."

"Don't worry about it. You're safe with me, Chise," he said reassuringly.

She quietly nodded, her stomach settling down just a little at his words. "I'll just take your word for it."

"That's the spirit!" He tilted his head as much as he could to look at her, his eyes sparkling with joy. "You're doing fine, okay?"

His eyes had... changed. While they were their usual jade-green, it was as if they were reaching out to her, tugging at her and leaving her feeling all weak and helpless, yet this warmth was spreading through her body and giving her new energy. She found herself grinning at him. "You're amazing, Baku!"

Without warning, his gaze darkened as he turned away and instead focused on what was ahead of them. "No, I'm not," he murmured.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Her grin faded into a look of concern as she leaned forward.

"The curse... I can't outrun it, not even in the world of dreams," he continued, ignoring her. "We need to hurry up and get you out of here. We can't afford to lose any more time."


	7. Author's note

Hey, it's me. The author of this story.

Now, I know that it's usually not taken too well for an author to publish a chapter purely for the sake of attaching a note to a story, but it doesn't seem right to simply discontinue a story without at least giving a reason.

For those who still read this, I'm sorry to say that this story will be discontinued due to lack of motivation to write more chapters. Although quite a surprising number of people read this (and a few have even followed this story! owo), this story has gone right off the rails with bad planning. I _might_ change my mind in the future and publish a rewrite with better planning and writing style, but don't depend on it.

I apologise if this has let anyone down.


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